Hi! I’m Sarah Jefford, an IVF Mum, egg donor, surrogate and family and surrogacy lawyer.
Welcome to the Surrogacy and Donor Conception Blog, with posts about surrogacy, donor conception, laws, news items, and my personal experiences as a donor and surrogate. You can scroll through the posts, search by category or keyword below.
Egg Donor Agreements
Egg Donor Agreement Are you considering growing your family with the help of an egg donor and thinking of having an agreement between you? Many families grow with the help of an egg donor, whether it's a clinic-recruited [...]
International Surrogacy Arrangements
International Surrogacy Arrangements Are you considering surrogacy options overseas? You need to do your research and consider the laws, options and processes. Be prepared to take your time and research, research, research! What are the laws about surrogacy? [...]
Best Practice Surrogacy
Surrogacy has been a headline again this week, with Foreign Correspondent covering surrogacy in the Ukraine. Unfortunately, rarely when it is a headline is it a positive story, and my heart broke for the women, babies and intended [...]
Surrogacy Pregnancy and Birth Planning Package
Surrogacy Pregnancy and Birth Package If you and your team are planning a surrogacy birth, you will be keen to make sure your healthcare provider is sensitive and responsive to the dynamics and needs of your team. Whilst [...]
Co-Parenting Arrangements
There are many ways to grow a family, and co-parenting is a creative option. Whilst I primarily assist with surrogacy and donor arrangements, I am increasingly receiving enquiries from parties seeking to enter into a co-parenting arrangement. This [...]
Surrogacy as a Gay Dad
Pursuing surrogacy as a gay dad. Are you considering surrogacy as a single or partnered gay dad? Gay dads are growing in numbers around Australia as they pursue surrogacy to grow their families. The media is buzzing with [...]
One Year On
One Year On Surro-baby, Darcey, turned one last weekend. Her dads threw her a party, of course, and like all first birthdays, it was more of an anniversary for the parents than it was a party for the [...]
Surrogacy as Motherhood: The Inalienable Right to Choose
I spoke at the Melbourne Law School's Health Law and Ethics Network seminar this week, on the subject of surrogacy and ethics. Below is my speech. Thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity to speak [...]
Surrogacy in Australia
Surrogacy in Australia is regulated in each State, which means there are no uniform laws that cover surrogacy across the country. Surrogacy laws in all States follow the same basic principles: The Intended Parents must not be able [...]
The Surrogacy Process in Australia
The Surrogacy Process in Australia is similar in all States, and applies to all arrangements regardless of how the parties know each other or their relationship with each other. Before proceeding past step one, you should find out [...]
South Australia Surrogacy Law Reform Update
Surrogacy South Australia - Law Reform Update, November 2019 South Australia has reviewed its surrogacy laws and now passed the Surrogacy Bill - you can read the full Bill here. The Bill has passed both Houses and awaits [...]
Do Surrogates Get Paid in Australia?
Do Surrogates Get Paid in Australia? The number one question that every surrogate is asked is "how much do you get paid?" And whilst we expect the question, and can even understand why someone may ask, the question [...]
When Surrogacy Isn’t Really Surrogacy
The surrogacy laws and other laws surrounding children, adoption and parentage is complex. There are several laws that cover children, and the Family Law Act dedicates almost 200 pages to clauses regarding children’s issues. There’s also many cases [...]
Why Aren’t Surrogacy Agreements Enforceable?
Somewhere in the Top 10 Questions about Surrogacy is: Why aren’t surrogacy agreements enforceable? The answer is both simple and complex, and comes back to two primary concepts. Firstly, the rights and best interests of the child are [...]
Altruistic Surrogacy: How Much Does it Cost?
Altruistic surrogacy: how much does it cost? Intended parents are always keen to know how much surrogacy will cost them. There are so many variables depending on individual circumstances, so it can be hard to give an exact [...]
Surrogacy Laws in Australia
Surrogacy Laws Australia Are you exploring your options for growing your family through surrogacy? Below is an overview of Australian surrogacy laws as they stand today. There are currently no surrogacy laws in the Northern Territory. There is [...]
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering if surrogacy is legal in Australia? Thinking about pursuing surrogacy to grow your family? Thinking about being a surrogate to help someone grow theirs? Here's some answers to questions you might have. Don't forget to download your [...]
Overseas Surrogacy
Do you need an Australian lawyer to assist you with your overseas surrogacy journey? The short answer is, mostly not. You can engage a lawyer in your destination country, who will guide you through the Surrogacy and Donor [...]
Surrogate Age Limits
Surrogate Age Limits There are some surrogate age limits applied to surrogacy in Australia, and each State has it's own requirements and restrictions. In most States, the surrogate must be over 25 years of age. In the ACT, [...]
Commercial Surrogacy and Parentage Orders
People entering into commercial surrogacy overseas are often anxious to know about returning home to Australia with their baby, any consequences, and whether they need to get court orders when they return to Australia. Parentage Orders are made [...]
Do I need a Surrogacy Broker?
Do I need a surrogacy broker? Or a surrogacy consultant, or third party to be your concierge? Surrogacy is bit like Project Management. In fact, by the time you’re home with your baby, you’ll feel like you deserve [...]